I Was Always Stronger
by nihongoneko
Summary: Shampoo killed Mousse in a battle to decide whether she would be his bride or not for once and all. This is the aftermath of that. The genre's are guessed. I wasn't exactly sure what to label it as. MoussexShampoo pairing, of a sort


I Was Always Stronger- Ranma 1/2- nihogonkeo  
shampooxmousse 

rated T because I'm playing safe. I don't know if this should fall under a lower category since I mention death.

summary: Shampoo killed Mousse in a battle to decide whether she would be his bride or not for once and all. This is the aftermath from Shampoo's POV.  
-

story:

She stared down at his lifeless form, and her hands that did it.

Why? Why did Mousse have to be so stubborn? She had always been stronger than him. And now, there was no doubt that she always would be.

She stared for a long moment, not quite believing it, not really looking at anything, not wanting to. He was gone. She still expected him to get up. His tenacity suprised her, how strongly and persistently he pursued her. Even all the way to Japan. He never hesitated for anything when it came to her. Never had.

Shampo stayed there for many hours, her mind blank, but not, curled up away from the body, but still close enough to see it in full view. Thoughts ran through her head, but did not really register to her conscious mind. Memories of her childhood, and a blind boy that followed her everywhere, always, who always spouted his love for her, who always fought for her. He endured everything, always, for her, and he never gave up. Never. Not even in the end.

It was then that Shampoo noticed that tears had started in her eyes.

Why? Why did he have to die? How could he? Her childhood friend, how could he leave her like this? Alone, with no other connection to home but her great-grandmother, Cologne.

It was then that Shampoo felt a strong yearning to go back home, back to China, back to the amazons. She didn't want to stay in Japan anymore, she realized, with its fighting and pursuing almost every day, only to be turned away again anad again. Where the language still felt foreign on her tongue, a language Mousse had mastered effortlessly in order to be there with her, his childhood friend, but that she had not managed to master fully for Ranma, her husband by amazon law.

She didn't want to stay and eat more japanese food, and live far from the forests and wildlife. She didn't want to be surrounded by all these males and shy females. She wanted home, where she was among others as strong as her, where the air was pure and untouched by pollution. Where Mousse use to be. A place that use to mean having a good friend that never would leave her. A place where Mousse had only lived, only been alive, and had not died, was not dead.

Shampoo then looked at Mousse, very slowly turning her head, hoping. But no, he was still there, in the exact same position she had seen the life die from his eyes. She didn't know how she saw it, but she had known the moment that it had happened, that he had died. And her chest had constricted painfully. Mousse, beloved friend.

She sniffled a bit, the tears flowing down her cheeks. She wanted to go home with him. She didn't want to pursue Ranma anymore. She wanted to stay here with Mousse until she died herself, but she knew that she couldn't. she couldn't consciously kill herselef, no matter howmuch she wanted to.

The world was suddenly bleak. The amazon laws didn't seem so important anymore. She should of never accepted Mousse's challenge. Then maybe he'd... still be alive.

Shampoo slowly slid over to the prone body, and reached out her hand, hesitantly. She touched his hair, lying on the cold floor. She didn't want to touch his skin. Shampoo knew that it'd be stiff, and probably cold now. She didn't want that- didn't want the touch of his dead body in her memory, ever. But she touched his hair. So soft, so dark.

Through the tears, she noticed how it shone in the dim light. They had decided to fight where great-grandmother wouldn't see them, and no one would come down here for a long time. Days, probably, if even that. The cellar was pretty useless for the cafe. Norally, they just forgot about it. But today, of all days, Mousse had remembered it. Some place that if he won, she could have probably denied it. The though hit her like a slap.

That was it, she realized. It'd be one word against another, with no witnesses to back them up. Had he done that purpoely? Shampoo felt a fresh wave of tears. Oh, Mousse. Mousse... her friend...why?

Shampoo laid down near his body. Close, but not touching. She didn't have to worry about him moving, only her. And she was too depressed to sit up anymore. She wouldn't roll over. She fell asleep with tears on her eyes and cheeks and even her neck, one of her hands clutching Mousses' long hair, and the other laying near it, with it's thumb stroking the dark bits between it and the forefinger. She wouldn't, couldn't think of him as dead. It was unthinkable. He was too full of life.

Shampoo knew that it was foolish to think it, but she hoped and prayed that when she woke, he's be breathing again. Another freah wave of tears fell as she prayed with all her heart, and drifted off to a depression and exhaustion induced sleep.

Great-grandmother would protest, but Shampoo would go back with or without her. They, her and Mousse, would go back to China, where they belonged, where he could have a proper burial. Life had lost all joy and purpose for Shampoo now that Mousse was gone. She knew that for the rest of her life, that would be the case.

Mousse had been her world... And now he was gone.

-

Shampoo did go back to China, and when the time came for Mousses' burial, the whole Nermia Wrecking crew showed up.

Shampoo looked at them, realizing now that she could never kill Akane or any of the other of Ranma's fiancees'. Or Ranma himself, if she decided to fulfill her Kiss of Death. She would never kill again. This was her first and only human kill, and it would remain that way forever.

She wouldn't fulfill the Kiss of Marriage either. Everyone had come to Mousses' funeral. She could not interfere in their lives anymore. She no longer had the strength or drive for it.

When, after he funeral, Shampoo noticed that many of the amazons were looking at Ranma and whispering, she felt a twinge of fear. If they found out, they may kill him. She waled over to her great-grandmother.

"Elder Cologne." she hesitated, speaking in mandein. "I... have something to say..."

"Yes, child?" Cologne replied. She knew how hard the funeral had been on Shampoo and knew without a doubt that her great-grandaughter's next words would be final.

"I... I'm giving up Ranma. Tell them that another woman beat me for him. Tell them anything, please. But don't let them kill him. I don't want another death... Not another..."

Cologne saw the haunting in her great-grandaughters eyes of what had happened to Mousse. She nodded once to the girl, unable to comfort her with words, knowing of similar pains herself. Living long had made elder Cologne see much death, including loved ones. Shampoo was broken. All her life was gone. The child might of well of been dead. And Cologne knew that she wished for it. The tears were still visible in Shampos eyes.

"You don't worry about a thing, Shampoo. They will remain safe here. I will see to it that no harm comes to them."

Shampo nodded, head down, and turned away. She couldn't face the others, Cologne knew. And she would never see them again.

Cologne went over to the amazons that had been looking at Ranma and the others. She had noticed it, but had been more concerned with Shampo at the moment to really care. She knew that Ranma and the others could take care of themselves. Shampoo had been the strongest amazon. But still, she knew that Shampoo had known herself that it was a silly request, yet she had still made it. She had wanted no chances, and neither did Cologne. She did not want to see any more grief in her great-grandaughters eyes. It had broken up the elder inside.

Cologne rapped a sharp command in mandarin to the women, immediately ceasing their converstion.

"Leave them be. They are not to be harmed. Shampoo hasd been defeated by an outsider girl on outsider land. The rules are absolute. She has returned and both kisses have been nulled. Leave them."

The amazons nodded respectfully, and turned and walked away. Cologne watched them go. Then, with a last glance to the people that had been a part of her and Shampoo's lives for two years, she turned away and headed to her own home, where Shampoo was. They were no longer a part of the outsiders lives. She and Shampoo would spend the remainder of their days in the amazon village. Shampoo would no longer fight, of that Cologne was certain. And she would protect her great-grandaughter and respect her decision.

Cologne turned back once more to the Nermia visitors. They had all turned to her. Ranma waved, and so did the others. Cologne raised a hand back. Both sides knew that words weren't necessary. Both sides knew that they'd never see the other again. With Shampoo and Mousse gone, their connection ended. Maybe later on, years later, another Kiss of Death or Marriage would be issued. But when that happened, Cologne would remain in China. As would Shampoo.

Shampoo would be the next leader of their people, and probably a healer when she got older. Her experience had changes the young amazon. No matter what path Shampoo took, Cologne would be proud of her. And Mousse..., she looked back at the new grave, herself now standing right at the entrance to her and Shampoos' home. Mousse, she was proud of too. All he had accomplished before his death had been more than any amazon male had ever done, or probably would ever do. He had not only proved himelf worthy, but worth more honor than many amazons Cologne had known. To her, he was worthy as Shampoo's husband, after all he had done and been. And she knew that Shampoo felt the same way now too. He would live on in their hearts forever, and the hearts of he friends that ha had made in Japan.

Cologne looked up at the sky, and the clouds there. She felt brief tears in her eyes. Who had know that duck boy was so important to them all? She would make sure that he will be remembered honerably by all amazons tomorrow, whe she went to the council. He deserved that, in the least. Cologne had a feeling that he had always had Shampoos' love from the start.

-   
ending comments: I wrote this when I was reading a fight scene between Shampoo and Mousse, and for some reason it made me think of my hamster, who died recently. It may sound silly, but he was very imprtant to me, and I witnessed him die, literally- I stroked his fur as he went. And he still doesn't seem dead to me. I keep expecting to see him in his empty tank whe I pass it by. So this is dedicated to him.  
Most if not all of Shampoo's feelings are based on my own feelings. After my hamster died, I can only imagine how it'd feel to watch a close childhood friend who never left your side up to their death die before your eyes, and even worse, to have caused it. This is also dedicated to the characters Shampoo and Mousse, and Rumiko Takahashi, who created them.  
Thank you for reading. Reviews are, as always, welcomed, and and comments or flames are also accepted. Again, thank you.  
Also, as a last minute note, I did not do this because I hate Mousse or anything. He's one of my favorite characters.


End file.
